The Khaatumo II conference of Dhulbahante clan leaders held since January 5 at Taleeh fort in Sool region has culminated in the proclamation of a new semi-autonomous region in northern Somalia.

Delegates at the Taleeh conference from the Sool, Sanaag and Cayn regions announced that the new administration will function independently from the semi-autonomous regions of Somaliland and Puntland, a senior spokesman of Khaatumo conference said.

Conference spokesman Adam Abdullahi Shuuriye told the local and international media that delegates of the Khaatumo Conference had unanimously agreed to the establishment of a semi-autonomous federal region in the northern administrative districts of Sool, Sanaag and Cayn (SSC).

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Burma’s government signed a cease-fire agreement Thursday with ethnic Karen rebels in a major step toward ending one of the world’s longest-running insurgencies and meeting a key condition for better ties with the West.

The talks between officials and Karen National Union leaders were part of efforts by Burma’s new, nominally civilian government to seek international legitimacy through democratic reforms after years of military repression.

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Colombia’s main leftist group suggested on Monday it is willing to reopen talks with the government.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as the FARC, has been at war with the state since the 1960s. While severely weakened in recent years, the guerrilla group has continued to carry out kidnappings and attack security forces.

In a statement, the FARC said it would be interested in addressing certain issues at a “hypothetical negotiating table.” It called on the government of President Juan Manuel Santos to speak to such subjects as privatization, deregulation and the degradation of the environment.

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The bullet-riddled bodies of the missing 10 were found dumped in Dabori town of the tribal area.

One security official said 23 soldiers were attacked in the late-night attack by up to 100 heavily armed militants.

“They killed 13 soldiers and took away 10. The bodies (of the 10) were found in Dabori today,” said another source on condition of anonymity.

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A recent offensive by Burmese government forces against the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) in the Hpakan jade mining area in the west of Kachin state, has forced hundreds of local villagers to flee for their safety, according to refugees in the area.

An estimated 300 people have taken shelter in a Kachin Baptist church in Lawng Hkang town, with others seeking refuge in a nearby Catholic Church or with friends, our source said.

Earlier this week the KIO enacted a complete ban on all public travel along the Hpakan jade mining road due to the ongoing conflict with the Burmese army.

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Heavy fighting broke out late on Friday in Gedo and Lower Juba regions as the allied forces from the Transitional Federal Government (TFG), Kenyan Defense Forces (KDF) and the pro-government militias of Wal-jamaca (ASWJ) and Ras Kamboni fighters battled with the militant group al-Shabaab.

According to local residents, the first round of the attacks occurred in Dhamase village of Gedo region when the Islamist group ambushed KDF and TFG forces traversing the region.

The al-Shabaab fighters claimed victory over the attacks.

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